John Brittas Urges UDF MPs to Join Protest in Delhi Against Palakkad Railway Division Split

Thiruvananthapuram: CPI(M) Rajya Sabha leader and MP John Brittas urged UDF MPs to join a protest in front of the Union Railway Ministry in Delhi against the move to split the Palakkad Railway Division and merge the Mangaluru region with Mysuru. He said everyone should come together to protest under the leadership of the Kerala government.

“If a protest is organised in Palakkad, how will the authorities concerned know about it?” Brittas asked, stressing the need for a joint protest in Delhi.

The Palakkad Division was first split in 2007, when the Congress was in power at the Centre, Brittas said. The division, which then covered 1,247 km of railway tracks, was divided and a large portion was transferred to Salem. With the division now facing another split, Keralam's railway development prospects would suffer, he said.

The Mangaluru region, which accounts for 90 per cent of the division's freight traffic and 50 per cent of its total revenue, is now being transferred to Mysuru. This would weaken the Palakkad Division, Brittas said. Trains such as Malabar and Maveli would come under the control of the new division, while reservation facilities and emergency quotas would also be affected. The division's revenue could be reduced by half, resulting in a loss of around Rs 1,000 crore, he said.

The latest move comes at a time when Keralam has been demanding a separate railway zone for several years. Brittas pointed out that the Centre had told Parliament that the railway coach factory and semi-high-speed rail project had not been sanctioned because the Kerala government had not given its approval.

He urged the Kerala government to take the initiative and make an immediate decision on the issue. Brittas also said he would extend full support to protests and agitations organised anywhere against the move.